Want Your Marriage To Last? Maybe A Younger Wife Is In Order

The European Journal of Operational Research has released a study that contends that the secret to a happy marriage for is to choose a wife who is smarter and at least five years younger.

The smarter aspect is a given since all women are smarter then men anyhow. Just joking, but had to add that in to give everyone a laugh.

The research is based on studying more than 1,500 couples who were married or in a serious relationship. Five years later, the group followed up with a 1,000 of the couples to see which had lasted.

The findings were not shocking. If a wife was five years older, they were three times more likely to divorce then a couple the same age. If the gap was reversed with the man being the oldest, marriage happiness was the result.

This is not rocket science. I think some men just take longer to mature so a younger wife is better suited. Also, it use to be that women needed to be cared for financially so an older man was better suited for that. I think that holds true today to some extent as well.

I have been thinking about this topic a lot lately. What makes a good marriage?

My brother-in-law recently got married to a girl he had only known a few months and she is much younger. Already, they seem to come from two completely different family backgrounds. On top of that, stress will be an issue when a baby comes into the picture in February/March. Finances will be tight since he works as a teacher and she does not work. Not the most ideal start, would you agree?

However, I think of my own marriage. Sure we are the same age, we dated for over four years. But we were very immature and irresponsible. We were not the best role models and had no clue what we were doing. We waited until two years after we were married, then found out I was pregnant. We met at a Pantera rock concert, for pete's sake. We are happy and we are making it.

I know people who started off in worse and better circumstance. I know some who the woman was older and some where the man was older. I know some where both were educated, one was educated and neither was educated. I know couples who are now pastors that met in a bar and struggled in the beginning. In the end, it comes down to God.

Marriage is not a formula based institution. Sometimes, we just do not know who or why couples join. I, personally, would not let a study persuade me from if I am making the right decision in marriage.